The present invention relates to surface cooled heat exchangers used for cooling fluid.
Surface cooled heat exchangers are often used in applications where the height clearance for a heat exchanger is quite low, for example, slush box engine coolant coolers in snowmobiles, and under-body mounted fuel coolers in automotive applications. One style of known surface cooled heat exchangers are extrusion formed devices that include fins integrally extruded with top and bottom walls that are connected along opposite sides to define a cavity that is welded shut at opposite ends after extrusion to provide a fluid cooling container. An example of such a heat exchanger for use as a rear cooler on a snowmobile can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,217 issued Aug. 29, 2000. In extrusion formed coolers, the extrusion process makes it difficult to include fluid circuiting baffles or turbulizers within the cavity.
Known low profile surface cooled heat exchangers can be heavy and can be relatively expensive to manufacture. Thus, there is a need for a surface cooled heat exchanger that is relatively light-weight and relatively cost efficient to manufacture. Also desired is a surface cooled heat exchanger that can be manufactured in a range of sizes with little tooling changes, and in which flow circuiting can be easily incorporated.